OregonJunco
Member
I am sure I saw a Heerman's gull on the southern Oregon coast last weekend. It was sooty gray all over, with black legs and an orange beak.
I am a novice birder, and gulls are difficult for me to identify, but I was sure of this one, until I looked at a range map and discovered that this species is not found on the Oregon coast until late summer and fall.
Now I'm questioning my identification.
How likely is it that this bird was here at the wrong time of year? How accurate are range maps?
I am a novice birder, and gulls are difficult for me to identify, but I was sure of this one, until I looked at a range map and discovered that this species is not found on the Oregon coast until late summer and fall.
Now I'm questioning my identification.
How likely is it that this bird was here at the wrong time of year? How accurate are range maps?